A New Collaboration Marks a Milestone in Winky D’s Musical Journey
As the annual Kadoma Music Festival approaches, Zimbabwean music icon Winky D and Jamaican artist Busy Signal have joined forces to release a powerful new single titled Drink Up (Problems Away). This collaboration is more than just a musical project; it represents a continuation of Winky D’s signature style—melding sharp social commentary with infectious party rhythms.
Winky D has long been known for his ability to weave meaningful messages into his tracks, often using music as a form of expression for the struggles faced by the urban youth. Songs like Gafa Party and Kudhakwa showcase this approach, blending storytelling with a beat that makes people move. His 2016 album Gafa Life Kickstape was a standout example of this philosophy, combining music of struggle with a vibrant, party-ready rhythm.
The term kickstape itself reflects this unique blend. It combines “kick,” representing impact and excitement, with “mixtape,” suggesting a collection of songs. The name perfectly encapsulates the album’s identity as a raw, street-authentic, and hard-hitting set of tracks. Among its hits were Gafa Life, Idya Mari, and Disappear—a song that shares a spiritual connection with the new release.
A Shared Message of Escape and Resilience
Drink Up and Disappear are undeniably linked, both addressing the same core theme: seeking temporary escape or permanent resolution from life’s hardships. This message resonates deeply because it taps into a universal desire for escapism through dancing, partying, and consumption.
The tracks acknowledge the heavy burdens of real-life problems—economic hardship, poverty, and the daily struggles of urban youth, such as evading rent payments—but they quickly pivot to offering an immediate, debauched solution. This juxtaposition of harsh reality and exhilarating fun is what makes these songs so appealing.
They serve as powerful, liberating anthems. Their purpose isn’t to solve problems but to hit the emotional “reset button” for a night, acknowledging that the social burden is so heavy that the only immediate relief is to make the “problems disappear” completely, even if only for a short while.
Busy Signal’s involvement elevates this message to a global scale, making the theme of resilience resonate across cultures. As the Jamaican star noted, “I always focus on the message—not just the beat,” affirming the shared struggle, from the ghettos of Harare to the slums of Jamaica.
A Global Perspective on Local Struggles
This collaboration places the Zimbabwean experience not in isolation but as part of the broader challenges faced by marginalized communities worldwide. While Disappear offered an immediate, local prescription for relief, Drink Up is the matured, international version.
It’s less about hiding from the problems and more about stepping past them with international confidence and rhythmic flavor. Both songs solidify Winky D’s status as the “voice of the voiceless,” providing a musical guide for survival.
Busy Signal expressed his admiration for the track, saying, “It was the melody. I loved the melody, the lyrical content, and the message of getting problems away. That’s a good thing, to forget your problems— who doesn’t want their problems to go away? That’s one thing that caught me.”
The Evolution of a Musical Philosophy
The two songs are bookends to Winky D’s consistent musical philosophy. Disappear is the raw, urgent expression of the need for an emotional reprieve for the ghetto youth, turning despair into a high-energy dance moment.
Drink Up, on the other hand, is the mature, international version of the same message. It takes the deeply personal struggle and places it on a global stage through the collaboration with Busy Signal, celebrating the ability to transcend those very problems with style, rhythm, and a powerful sense of community and resilience.